The Newsletter of All Saints Cathedral Parish Bathurst and St Barnabas Parish South Bathurst

Transcription

1 The Newsletter of All Saints Cathedral Parish Bathurst and St Barnabas Parish South Bathurst Sunday 23 July 2017 Seventh Sunday After Pentecost GOD IS IN THE MESS S ome time back, my great-nephew met with an unwelcome refusal from his father. His response: Dad, I am not impressed with what I m hearing! Like young Izaak, I suspect that most experienced gardeners and farmers and bakers would have something similar to say at Jesus choice of images for God s empire of the heavens. They would be particularly unimpressed, I expect, by the methods of the farmer-gardener God presented in today s gospel reading. Leaving weeds to endanger the wheat crop seems none too smart. Mustard, known for its propensity to grow wild and threaten the life of every other plant in the garden, makes for an equally strange image. God s empire imaged as a baker woman taking yeast, a substance considered a corrupting influence in the first century Jewish world, and mixing it into twenty kilos of wheat flour, stretches the imagination in other directions. These images cut across expectations quite dramatically. What do they tell us about God s kin-dom of the skies? In the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven, there is a movement from small to great that communicates something about the power of God to bring abundance of life from the most insignificant beginnings. They don t seem to fit with the parable of the wheat and the weeds until we look a little more closely. The element of danger to the life of the whole is common to all three parables. Maybe Matthew s Jesus is telling us that God is a God of risk, prepared to allow the weeds and endangering herbs and other dubious substances to infect God s field. Harvest-time will be time enough to divide the wheat from the weeds. In the meantime, the good seed must take hold. In the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven, Jesus may be telling his hearers that their idea of infection or danger is different from his. At one level, he engages the more-than-human and talks about respect for the complexity of eco-systems. At another, he is talking about societal inclusion: the very people that many consider unclean or sinful or demonpossessed are not to be displaced from God s field or God s table. On the contrary, they may be the very ones who season the life of the whole. Life is messy after all and God is in the mess. It is worth noting that the leaven parable offers one of the few occasions in the gospel where God is imaged as female. While we are all aware that God is neither male nor female, most of us have been conditioned to use only male images for God. The parable of the woman kneading dough validates the potential of female experience to reflect the life and activity of God in our world. Veronica Lawson We worship on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri people and we honour and pay our respects to elders past and present. Psalm 86 (11-17) Show me your way O Lord and I will walk in your truth: let my heart delight to fear your name. I will praise you O Lord my God with all my heart: and I will glorify your name for ever. For great is your abiding love toward me: and you have delivered my life from the lowest depths of the grave. The insolent O God have risen against me: a ruthless band seek my life they have not set God before their eyes. But you Lord are a God gracious and compassionate: slow to anger full of goodness and truth. Turn to me and be merciful give your strength to your servant: and save the child of your handmaid. Show me some token of your goodness: that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed because you Lord are my helper and my comforter.

2 Prayers THE AUSTRALIAN CHURCH The Diocese of Tasmania with Bishop Richard Condie, missionary Bishops Ross Nicholson, Christopher Jones, clergy and people. IN OUR DIOCESE The parish of West Wyalong the Rev'd Daryl McCullough and Di. Also Cursillo in our diocese with Lay Director, Lew Hitchick, Spiritual Directors, Gary Neville and Linda Boss and National Episcopal Advisor, Bishop Ian Palmer. IN OUR PARISHES Pray for those caught up in addictions to alcohol and drugs and those who support them and for the work that people do with Twelve Step programs. Prayers May we prayers be with those involved in the next Diocesan Cursillo to be held in Parkes on Saturday 23 July. Parish Calendar 22 July BBQ Bunnings 23 July Royal NSW Regiment Service Cathedral 25 July MU Abbott Room 30 July 5th Sunday Concert Cathedral 14 Aug Lunchtime Concert 23 Aug Bush Church Society Afternoon Tea Parish News NSW REGIMENTAL MILITARY SERVICE We welcome the Royal NSW Regiment to All Saints Cathedral this weekend for their service commencing at 11.30am on Sunday 23 July. All welcome to attend. WORTH READING We hope you enjoyed reading your free copy of the Partners magazine. The current edition with the bluish cover gives voice to Anglican Aboriginal leaders with a focus on the journey of Reconciliation. West Wyalong Rector, Rev Daryl McCCullough, writes about the call for a treaty on pages 18 and 19. Be informed while enjoying the Aboriginal art used throughout this little magazine. If you haven t yet got a copy contact Lorraine Clarkson MU A WARM, RELAXED AND FUN EVENING MU will gather on Tuesday 25 July at 5.30 p.m. (bringing along their Cup-a-Soups for early dinner!) in the Abbott Room for a night of Crazy Whist and cards lots of laughter and friendly competition!! You are most welcome to join us! Phone Christine on th SUNDAY CONCERT All Saints Cathedral & Mitchell Conservatorium present 5th Sunday Concert Series - July 2:30pm Sunday July 30 Graham Sattler (Voice) and David Shaw (accompanist) All Saints Cathedral Tickets $20/$15 at door THE WESTERN PLAINS CHRISTIAN CONVENTION The Western Plains Christian Convention will be held again this year on August in Dubbo Convention Centre. Speakers will be Bishop Rick Lewers of Armidale and Craig Dobbie. Information and registration details can be found in the foyer of the Cathedral. BUSH CHURCH AID SOCIETY AFTERNOON TEA An afternoon tea will be held at the home of Marion Sharwood at 4 Kensington Place, Perthville, on Wednesday 23 August from 2-4pm. Entry is by donation and all funds raised will be sent to the Bush Church Aid Society. For enquiries phone Marion on BELL TOWER DONATIONS Tax deductible donations can still be made to the Parish via ANZAB. These donations are available to anyone, not only parishioners. Enquiries to David Veness (Hon. Treasurer) on CATHEDRAL FOOD PANTRY Thank you to everyone who continue to contribute to the Food Pantry. Your generous donations are appreciated and welcome. LUNCHTIME CONCERT Next Lunchtime Concert: 1pm Monday 14 August in the Orchard Room. Phil Braithwaite Flute and Gavin Tipping Piano. Adventure ENGLAND Province of Canterbury and York The partnership programme Hat*te*ah sees Mothers Union working with The Children s Society, Home for Good and The Diocese of Canterbury. Hat*te*ah is a Hebrew word for ark a place of safety and refuge. The scheme provides necessary awareness for those working with young refugees in a professional capacity. Remember that I have commanded you to be determined and confident! Do not be afraid or discouraged, for I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9GNT) The adventure of the Christian life begins when we dare to do what we would never tackle without Christ. William Penn Quaker, Loving Lord, we pray for members in Canterbury and York, that they will continue to adventure together in the work to which you have called them, and find great delight in serving you.

3 Today s Readings in Context Romans 8:12-25 Much of the letter to the Romans is about how we cannot earn on our own the approval of God, but God mercifully saves us anyway. The same can be said of how we pray. Matthew13:24-30 Jesus uses three agricultural images to describe the reign of heaven. From modest beginnings come unexpected results....meditation Moment Jesus is taken by God or, better, chosen by God. Jesus is the Chosen One. From all eternity God has chosen his most precious Child to become the saviour of the world. Being chosen expresses a special relationship, being known and loved in a unique way, being singled out. In our society our being chosen always implies that others are not chosen. But this is not true for God. God chooses his Son to reveal to us our chosenness. In the Kingdom of God there is no competition or rivalry. The Son of God shares his chosenness with us. In the Kingdom of God each person is precious and unique, and each person has been given eyes to see the chosenness of others and rejoice in it. He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. - Colossians 1: 13 (NRSV) Can you rejoice today that you are chosen by a God who loves you? Henri Nouwen UPDATE FROM THE CATHEDRAL APPOINTMENT BOARD on the progress in selection of new Dean. The three lay members of the Appointment Board have been meeting regularly with the Clergy members and are working through the process of selecting a new Dean. Any questions or comments should be directed to Bishop Ian Palmer by on bishop@bathurstanglican.org.au CLERGY PARISH OFICE WARDENS All Saints Cathedral SERVICES MONDAY 24 JULY 8.30AM TUESDAY 25 JULY 1.00PM WEDNESDAY 26 JULY 8.30AM THURSDAY 27 JULY 8.30AM FRIDAY 28 JULY 10.00AM Followed by Morning Tea SATURDAY 29 JULY 5.00PM SUNDAY 30 JULY 8.30AM 10.00AM Rev James Hodson Acting Dean Honorary Clergy Rev Rosie Wynter Rev Carla Archer Rev Bob Date Rev Margaret Voerman Rev Clare Percival Rev John Clarkson All Saints & St Barnabas Parish Office 3 Church Street Bathurst PO Box 258 Bathurst 2795 E: cathedral@bathurstanglican.org.au W: allsaintscathedralbathurst.com.au Account Name: All Saints Cathedral BSB: Acct No: If you wish to give by Direct Giving these are the deposit account details. Graham Leatherland Chris Percival Sue West St Barnabas Parish SERVICES Rev Rosie Wynter Sundays 10am St Joseph s Convent Chapel Perthville (Tennyson Woods Avenue) 1st Sunday 11:45 am St Paul s Yetholme (Porter s Lane) Wednesday 6pm St Barnabas Centre (288 William Street) 3rd Thursday 10:30am Senior s Service and Morning Tea Wednesdays 10:30am Koinonia Bible Study St Barnabas Centre (288 William Street) Lew Hitchick Bev Walsh Marilyn Robey

4 A READING FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let them proclaim it, let them declare and set it forth before me. Who has announced from of old the things to come? Let them tell us what is yet to be. Do not fear, or be afraid; have I not told you from of old and declared it? You are my witnesses! Is there any god besides me? There is no other rock; I know not one. FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD Thanks be to God A READING FROM PAUL TO THE ROMANS So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father! it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience`. FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD Thanks be to God A READING FROM THE HOLY GOSPEL ACORDING TO MATTHEW Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ He put before them another parable: The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? He answered, An enemy has done this. The slaves said to him, Then do you want us to go and gather them? But he replied, No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field. He answered, The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! FOR THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ STEWARDSHIP We should seek to make the Lord s work a priority in our lives as we seek first God s kingdom and righteousness. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

5 SRE OPPORTUNITIES IN NEW SOUTH WALES SCHOOLS We have heard about the sad loss of SRE lessons from Victorian schools and the lack of Christian Christmas carols in their schools. That development is one concern. In NSW, another concern would be if church people say to each other, It s only a matter of time before we lose SRE here in NSW. Then, because of this weakening of morale, churches could fail to provide the resources needed to make the most of all the opportunities we do have in schools. In NSW, Christian SRE lessons are delivered week by week to around 250,000 pupils across the state by over 10,000 volunteers, second only to the Surf Lifesavers. We can thank God for some further developments in SRE state-wide during For 172 high schools and central schools across NSW that have quality SRE where students are studying the Bible, and growing in their understanding of Jesus. - During 2016 there has been a 25% increase in the number of schools that have linked with the voluntary lunch time groups called ISCF (InterSchool Christian Fellowship) run by Scripture Union which has now developed an online training course for Christian student leaders. - SRE is now being offered to kids in remote schools through the backing of Bush Church Aid and the cooperation of the NSW Department of Education in providing online facilities. Here in Bathurst, 40 dedicated volunteers provide weekly lessons to around 40 classes in the 7 Primary school. When pupils go to Bathurst High or Kelso High they can take part in a program in Years 7 and 8 which suits young people at that stage in their development. However the Bathurst churches need to continue providing the finance to support the Christian Educator. The core characteristic of SRE in NSW is its authorisation by parents when they enrol their child and include their family's religious affiliation, if any. Parents who are Buddhist or Jewish or Baha i or other religions also take up their opportunity for Buddhist SRE or Jewish SRE etc. The key role of parents was made clear 37 years ago in an official Report to the NSW Government: The entry of officially recognized religious groups into the school situation should be in response to parental request by enrolment and not by any right of access as such. (Rawlinson Report paragraph 6.64) Because the clergy don t enjoy any privileged right of access into public schools, Christian parents can avoid becoming entangled in discussions on the separation of Church and State. Religious education in schools was not some concession that church leaders managed to extract from a reluctant government. Scripture classes were not seen as some privilege offered to the churches but as part and parcel of the development of public education. Its basis is in the wishes of parents.

6 Inspiring Stewardship A Comprehensive Program to Inspire Christian Giving Let s play a game of true or false. Applying Bible Principles True or false: Every possible second of our time should be used here in our parishes in service to the Lord and to others. On first glance, that sounds like a great way to go through life. Do what you have to do in order to provide for your family. Use whatever time you have to for essentials like eating, sleeping, and bathing. But then, whatever time remains, give it to God and work here at the church. True or false: Every possible second of our time should be used here in our parishes in service to the Lord and to others. It may surprise you, but that statement is false. Rev. Steve Schlund, a pastor from Nebraska, writes,... we are to view these talents, not as ours which we have deserved or developed on our own, but as gifts entrusted to us and our care solely by God s grace... to be used according to the wishes of the One who gave them, not our own....they are to be used to serve others. That is why we have been given time and talents. It is not so that we may simply sit back and enjoy life, but so that we can be of service to others, as Jesus was, especially in the context of the church.... However, as proper management of God s financial and material resources does not mean giving everything to the church, so also proper management of God s time and skills does not mean using all our time and skills at church. Church, like anything else, can become an idol if we devote so much time to it that we neglect our family or our need to rest. Our time and skills are to be used to serve others wherever we encounter them. Now, most pastors and lay leaders who read Pastor Schlund s comments will say to themselves, Not to worry over-involvement or doing too much is not a problem in my church. And while that s probably accurate for most congregations, as you consider what God would ask you to do, seek a balance. Earnestly seek to make the work of the Lord a priority in your life as you seek first God s kingdom. As you do, though, don t allow your devotion to the Lord s work and ministry to become a substitute for devotion to and service to the Lord Jesus Christ. One pastor challenged his congregation this way: I have good news and bad news. The good news is that God has given us enough money to finance the ministry here. The bad news is that it is all still in your pockets. In a similar way, that challenge can be restated or paraphrased as follows: I have good news and bad news. The good news is that God has placed under our control enough time and enough talent for the ministry here at All Saints Cathedral and St Barnabas. The bad news is that it is all still in our hands. How will you use the time and talents God has entrusted to you?